


The Arrival

by Devilc



Series: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner [3]
Category: DCU, DCU - Comicverse, JSA
Genre: Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-06
Updated: 2010-03-06
Packaged: 2017-10-07 18:23:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/67905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Devilc/pseuds/Devilc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Shade arrives for the party.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Because I was dying to know what Shade thought of Bart Allen.

Though I have faced demons (literal and metaphorical), shots fired in anger, crazed lunatics, and the horrors of modern life, I must confess to a certain amount of ... nervousness trepidation as I stood on the welcome mat, fist poised to knock on the Garrick's door.

Was I dressed right? I had sought Jack's assistance in the matter. (Black dockers, black silk shirt, and dark purple vest)

Would they like the wine? (_V Sattui_ Gamay Rouge.)

Were the flowers too much? (Black roses from my garden.)

Why had I been invited? Why had I come? Really, I'm not much use at festive functions like this. They remind me of all the things I don't have, but I'm not even sure why I even want them any more. Is it because it's ingrained in me, like my preference in clothes?

I didn't even have time to finish that bit of brood or even knock on the door before it suddenly opened.

"Hey, are you even going to knock or are you going to stand there all day?" asked a slender youth with a mop of brown hair and disconcerting amber eyes. He stood back and gestured. "Come in."

Wiping my feet on the doormat I replied, "I don't believe I was more than five seconds."

"Subjective time" came a voice to my right. Another young man, solidly built, with short, neatly groomed black hair and bright blue eyes.

Thank heavens Jay Garrick choose that moment to zoom in and rescue me. "Shade." He beamed at me. Reaching for the roses he continued, "Joan will love these. And a bottle of wine. Gamay Rouge?"

"It's a type of rose. It compliments almost everything."

"Thanks. Um. That's my  Bart answered the door. His friend Conner is on the couch."

Conner gave a wave and a sheepish grin  I made a note to ask Jack which young superhero he was  while Bart's brow furrowed in thought.

"Oh!" Bart exclaimed in what can only be described as bright disappointment. "You'reTheGuyAuntJoanCalledTheSillyMan in the ... top ... hat."

Both Jay and Conner both buried their heads in their hands.

The poor boy looked quite flustered at this point and flushed as red as his late grandfather's uniform. I smiled and said, "Your Aunt Joan is ever a wise woman."

"Um. Yeah." Pause. "ButHowComeYouAren'tWearingATopHat?"

It took me a moment to parse the words. "For the same reason you aren't wearing your Kid Flash costume."

"Oh. I was kind of hoping to see it."

"Not a problem. Take a look in the mirror." I gestured and conjured one of shadow, settling it on his head. A moment later I added a proper Victorian suit, circa 1860. And then, when he wore an ear to ear grin of surprise and delight, I turned the coat into the kind with the sleeves that lace up behind your back. As soon as he opened his mouth to protest, I morphed the collar up and over his mouth in a gag. Furious amber eyes glared at me as he vibrated violently in an attempt to escape.

"What?" I asked, taking in Jay's and Conner's expressions of stifled laughter. "I've reformed, not become a candidate for sainthood." However, before I could get too satisfied with myself, I found myself facing three more Barts, poised to attack. This was certainly something new!

"Bart," Jay said in a warning tone, "put the scouts away. Aunt Joan doesn't need her living room trashed."

Given the pristine and rather characterless nature of the furnishings, a trashing would have only improved matters. (The rest of the house has some actual character, though.)

But back to Barry's grandson. Curiouser and curiouser; potentially very interesting, too. "Scouts?" I asked.

"Well," Jay began, "everybody uses the Speed Force in a different way. For example, I can steal speed. Nobody's faster than Wally, and Bart here can vibrate through almost anything. He can also create Scouts, copies of himself made with Speed Force."

"Jay, "I grinned, "if one tenth of your style rubs off on him, I may well have to come out of retirement." I loosed the shadow bonds and Bart absorbed his doppelgangers.

Jay laughed, clapped me on the back, and led me towards the patio while Bart and Conner tried to figure out the significance of my statement.


End file.
